While refilling prescriptions, my pharmacist noticed a couple of them could use an update. He provided me with a long list of doctors and PA’s who could help. When I asked him to point out who was the best in the valley for weight counseling, nutrition, and wellness, he said without question, it is Melissa Lonnecker. That is when I started going to Freedom Healthcare.
After working with her for a few months, I learned she was developing a weight loss and wellness program. Since I was struggling with my weight, I was one of the first people to sign up!
The first day of the program I could tell that we were all a little nervous and that we were not sure what we were in for. There were 10 people in my class. We were diverse and included men, women, young, old, and even people who were not struggling with their weight but were interested in ways to maximize their health. Before we began, all I knew was I needed help and I trusted Melissa, so I was willing to listen to what she had to say and follow her instructions. Melissa is a great nutrition counselor.
Melissa is extremely knowledgeable and truly cares about all her patients without questions. She is also a great teacher. Melissa does not just practice her counseling from a theoretical point-of-view, but she practices it from personal experience. Melissa has been through all of our same struggles. When she teaches, Melissa brings her humanity and realism. Warts and all! In the end, her struggles and personal stories became motivation for all of us to succeed. This frank approach to weight counseling was disarming and different from other approaches I have experienced. When we realized that we were all in the same boat, it gave us hope.
Melissa provided step-by-step instructions all the way along. She gave everything to the group that we needed to succeed. If you were not able to be at the meeting she would record it and make it available online. Even with a busy schedule, she made it possible to have full participation in the class. My office is 45 miles away from Freedom Healthcare and sometimes the traffic on my commute would make me late to class; however, I never worried because I knew Melissa would not let me miss anything and would provide me with the all materials I would need.
Typical class would begin with a lecture and slideshow followed by a question and answer. We would laugh, ask questions, and have fun. Melissa’s lecture style is great and natural. I am a very busy person and I consider how I spend my time thoughtfully. This program was not a time waste. I enjoyed each class and benefited from the lectures. Plus, I enjoyed the other class members. It was fun to learn about their lives and hear their creative ideas in our discussions.
My favorite thing I learned was how to effectively lift weights from home. After a lecture, Melissa taught us how to lift weights in proper position for 10-15 minutes. The routine was very simple; I was able to easily incorporate it into my daily routine and busy schedule. No expensive gym memberships or personal training needed!
You can lose weight on any number of diets, but if you approach it from a different perspective by fixing your metabolism instead you can lose the weight and keep it off. That was the most beneficial concept we learned. The program teaches you how to eat so that you maximize the food you burn. You learn how to combine foods and eat at certain times to change your metabolism. In the end, you don’t feel like you are on a diet, deprived, or suffering. As the weeks progress, you start to see your body change shape and size.
The most difficult part is following rules; there are not many rules, but a handful that provide a challenge. For example, I struggled eating at certain times of the day because of my busy job/life. Nevertheless, Melissa kept encouraging me, and I was able to make it happen. The other part that was a surprising challenge was eating much more food than normal, which blew my mind! I had to learn to eat more food that I was used too. It was strange to eat more food and lose more weight.
I don’t think I would have been successful without Melissa. It was worth every penny. The weight loss and wellness program challenged all my beliefs about food. I would not have stuck with it without the classes. I am going to continue to implement what I have learned after the classes because Melissa provided us with all the tools we needed to continue for the rest of our life.
In addition to the weekly classes, I took advantage of additional tools and tests that are provided by Freedom Healthcare. I watch my body change over the weeks using their Body Composition Test, which was informative and inexpensive. They also offer state of the art blood work. The blood work can show you information about your cholesterol and hormones that other doctors don’t show you. I will never go without it again! They are also adding new tools all the time to make it a one-stop place for health.
I tell everyone that I know about Melissa and Freedom Healthcare. I have brought my daughters to work with Melissa. She has counseled my daughters with weight, diet, food allergies, and hormones. In addition, my husband also went to Melissa and Melissa discovered that he had cancer. Melissa called that night with all the information, and she had booked up appointments for him to get treated. Her early detection saved his life. He now has a clean bill of health.
In our family, Melissa is a rock star!
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